Burial casket



Oct. 16, 1934. H. P. HANSEN BURIAL GASKET Filed Nov. 2l

Aas

Patented Oct. 16, 1934 UNITED STATES OFFICE n 1,977,584 o o BURIALGASKET H v Y :YI-lans Io. Iansem Syracuse, N. Y., assigner to John l yMarsellus Casket Company, Syracuse, N. Y., a y l corporation of New Yorkj i 1 ApplicationNovember 21, 1932, Serial No. 64"3,634

5 claims.' (C1. 27 io)V This invention relates to burial caskets `havingopposite side and end wings or mouldings hinged tothe top of thebox toswing inwardly and outwardly andmitered' at the corners so that'when iAclosed they willl proj ect inwardlybeyondV the corresponding'walls ofthe boxl with` their mitered ends in close' contactfto form a reasonablytight joint, or, when unfolded outwardly their miter'ed ends will bespaced some distance apart. 1Y0` `The interior of thecasket, includingthe inner faces of the wings, are usually provided with more' 01 loesselaborate and expensive upholstery7 and as heretofore practiced theupholstering on the in ner faces of kthe wings has extended continuouslyaround the corners or across lthe meeting endsof the Wings so as tocover the gap across the corners when the wings are unfolded. Y y

These continuous extensions of the upholster inggon the wings acrossthegaps must of necessity be of sufficient length and flexibility toextendacross the gaps at the corners when, the wings are opened or` foldedoutwardly without liability of over-straining or tearing the fabric. t S.On the other hand, whenthe wings with theupl-v holstering thereon,extend' continuously around the .corners ,are closed or folded inwardlythe corner portions of the upholstering must be fdis-j placed orcompressed inwardly to such an extent as to form objectionable inwardlyprojecting en.

3g largements of the cornerportions of the uphol-M stering at thejunctions of the wings one with the other, all of which requiresconsiderable time fand care and produces an objectionable irregularityof'appearance of the interior upholstery.' l The main object of thepresent invention is to avoid these objectionable results by terminatingthe upholstering on the wingsat the adjoining en ds thereof andproviding an extra flap of pleasing appearance capableof being moved atwill to a'position4 across the gaps at the adjacent ends of the wingswhen the latter-are unfolded so as to present the appearance ofcontinuity'of .the up,- holstering around the corners and at thel sametime permitting therapcto be.. folded inwardly intothe interior of thecasket when thewings are folded inwardly to their closed positions. u

In other words, 1 have sought tovincorporate with the interiorupholstering ofl the main body ofthe casket an upholstered flexible flapnormally positionediwithin the casket when the wings areclosedvand'adaptedto be unfolded outwardly across the gaps at thecorners or ratherbetween the adjacent ends of the rwings andv permanentupholsteringthereon when the wings are open or 55 unfolded. n

Another object is to provide releasable means for/attaching the free'edge of the flap to the outer portions of the wings when the latter areopened.

Other' objects and uses relating to specific parts of my improvementswill' be brought out in the following description.

Figure l `is a top planof one corner yof a burial casketshowingthe'wings as closed or folded in-v Wardly to abut `end Vtoendagainst each other atk the corners, the upholstering flap being shownin its :inwardlyfolded position within the casket.

@Figure 2 is atop plan of thesame corner of the casket showing the wingswith the permanent upholsterng thereon as opened andthe flap as foldedinwardly into the interior of the casket.

Figure 3 is atop plan of thesame corner of the casket showing the wingsas unfolded and the flap as adjusted acrossthe vgap between' theadjacent ends of the wings to givethe appearance, without actuality, ofcontinuity of the upholsteryof the wmgsfw" -l f Y Figure ll isfV anenlarged vertical sectional view of a portion' ofthe same-corner of thecasket taken on'line4f-4g'Figure` 3.'

*Figure-51s anv enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line 5 5,Figure 1, showing more par` ticularly themeans for locking the wings intheir closedpositions.v 7 `-f"f1`his burial casket may vbe of yanywell-known' construction in so far as it includes a main boxlikesectionl-and opposite side and end wing sec'- tions 2 and 3 of wood, metal orany other suitable materiaL the wingvsections-being hinged at 4 to theupper marginal edges ofthe main body section to swing-inwardly andoutwardly to and from positions across the' upper edges of the adjacentportions of the box. f

The end wings 3 preferably extend from side to sidev of the box whilethe side wings 2 are relatively-short ascompared; with.;the full lengthof the box but are of uniform length and preferably arranged at theheadend of the casket atwhich the end wing A3 is also located so that theside and end rails meet atY the corners in diagonal planes at Iangles of45 deg., to the longitudinal centers ofthe Wings.

fFor this latter purpose, vthe ends of the wings at the cornersaremitered at 5 so that when the wings are closed the mitered ends willabut against Veach other to form a reasonably tight joint.

It,` therefore, follows that when the wings are opened `or `unfoldedoutwardly to substantially horizontal planes the. mitered ends will beopen to their maximum degree and will be disposed in diagonal planesacross the corners, as shown more clearly in Figure 2.

The interior of the main body or box of the casket is usually providedwith more or less elaborate and expensive upholstery (not shown) whilethe inner sides of thewwings 2`and 3 areprefrably providedwith'cor'responding upholstery 6, permanently secured thereto to extendtheV major portions of the lengths thereof but terminating short of theadjacent ends thereof to allow the' wings to fold inwardly to theirclosed positions with their mitered ends 5 abutting against each otherwithout material interference: of thea'djacent ends of theupholsteringpads 'one withthe other. 1

In previous practice, sojvfanas 15am aware, .it has been customary toextend the upholstering pads 6 continuously around the corners' and'across th@ adjacent Grids. f marines and 3 and it, therefore, follows.that the portions V of the4 pads at the junctionofthe side and endWings must be of suc'ient llength tol allowthe opening or youtwardfoldingofV the wings without excessive strain of the pads orupholstering-Lthereon. Y

Under these conditions, it is obvious that'when the .upholstered vwingsare folded inwardls; the upholstering material if continued across theadjacent ends of the wings-must becompressedand at the Sametimeforced-inwardlyinto the body' of the casket some distancebeyondthe innerends ofthe wings, thus forming Inoregor less irregular and objectionabledeformations of the interior upholstering Aof the casket. Y

On the other hand, as shown inmy improved structure, the termination ofthel adjacent ends of the upholsterngpads onlthe wings somedistance fromtheiadjacentfends; thereof forni an intervening gap Y 0f Sufficient'ar-ea to permit the wings 4tofold inwardly to theirclosed positionswith the mitered ends abutting against each other withoutaffectingthenormalipositions of the .adjacent ends of, thewiiigpads-,thereby avoiding the objectionable inward projections incidentalto theuextensionof thewing padscontin uously across the corners. A i

,The ODPOSte longitudinal *edges .0f '5113.y Pds are tacked or otherwisesecured tothe innerface of thegadjacent tWall `of the lloixghand -tothe-frce edge 0f the Wing: @Us@515.51591hlgV a mQregQ ,1.6.55 exibleconnectionV of the pad. across thehinged joint between the boxandwing,.t heedge of the pad adjacent the miter 5 beingtacked thereto so asto lie ina plane substantially.oincidentlwith the miter while theremaining Dortion of .the terminal end of -each pad at the cornerisextended inwardly at an obtuse angle tothe mitered edge 5, as shownmoreclearlyin Figure 2.

The angles Yof the. end edges iofthe pads 6 relatively to thecorresponding miters: 5 are ar'- ranged soas to abut against each otherwhen the wings are folded inwardlytotheir closed positions to avoid anypossibility vof crowding any' portions of the pads inwardly intothecasket.

It is obvious Vfrom the foregoing description that some means should beprovided *for covering the gapv between the terminal endsof the pads 6at ,the corners` in order that the upholstering maypresent`the'appearance of continuity when the'wings lare opened or unfoldedout@ wardly,: and: for this purpose, I have provided what maybetermedfflexible ..upholstered naps 9, oneY for each corner, Anear .thejunctions of the adjacent terminal ends of the' wing pads' sto be movedor adjusted at will to and from positions across the surfaces of saidpads and therefore of greater area than the gaps for covering the latterwhen the Wings are opened or unfolded to the position shown in vFigures2 and 4.

Each of these flaps is considerably wider than its corresponding'gap sothat when unfolded outwardly it'w'ill' overlap upon the adjacent ends of-the wings and has its inner end as 10 truncated and tacked or otherwisesecured to a corner *brace 1l which, in turn, is secured to the innercorner of the box close to the upper edge thereof, as shown in Figure 2,the opposite lengthwise A v edges and'fre'e edge of the nap being curvedoutwardlyjas shown more clearly in Figure 2, to fit more'clos'ely uponthe surfaces of the adjacent endsof the unfolded wings, as shown moreclearly in Figures 3 and 4.

The sides of each flap adjacent its truncated apex 10 are also tacked orotherwise secured to the inner walls of" thefadjacent portions of thebox I'leavin'g the majorremaining portions `of the flap free to' fold`from 'its normal position within the casket, as's'hownin Figure 2;` toa position across'the surfaces of the-[adjacent ends of the wing'p'a'ds2 so as tocompletely coverthe gap lwh'en the wings are unfolded, asshown in Figures., Y .y Y .I

That is,v thjeflap normally'extends'inwardly diagonally tothe adjacent,cornerV of the 'box andis of considerably greater area than the gapwhich it is 4adapted to close so'th'at when folded over and upon the surf aces' l ofthe adjacent ends of the wing pads 6 it wouldextendsomedistance beyond the 'opposite end walls Aof' the gap land also overand upon th'emitered'edges 5 where the free edge is securedfbyreleasablefmeans, presently described. c*

vThis releasable means preferably rconsists of' standard clasp' sections12 and 13, preferably of the ball and sockettype in which the sections13v are permanently attached to 'the corners-of the free ends of theflap whilefthesections 12'are permanently attached` to thej outerlengthwise edges o f the adjacent-'lends ofthe wing sections nearvthefadjacent vends of thea'miters 5,'in'dicated v '.1r. t Aspreviouslystated," the pad-ls; upholstered and made ofmore' orv less elaborateandexpensive fabric and, therefore, may `bef stretched laterally withinreasonable: limits. -Y j Whenthe' wings 3 are unfolded, asishown'inFigure 2,]'the distance between the` fastening 1ctt members '12 isslightly greater than the distance between the fastening members 13 sothat when the flapis folded over .and uponv the surfaces of thevadjacent ends of thefpads', the free end of the pad may. b e. slightlystretched to allow its fastening Ymembers 13 tobe `attached to4 thefasten-ing members 12 for holding the pad vin'its operative positionacross thelgapf'l, as shown in Figure3.` L' 1.., Suitable means -is alsoprovided for; locking the meeting ends ofthe Wing sections 3 in theirclosed t Operation When the wing sections 3 are closed to the positionshown in Figures 1 and 5, the flap 9 will be in its normal positionprojecting within the casket and lying loosely upon the upholsteringthereof under which conditions the latch members 14 at the corners ofthe wings will be interlocked with their respective keepers 16 to holdthe wings in their closed positions.

On the other hand, when it is desired to open the wings the latchmembers 14 will be unlocked from their respective keepers 16 whereuponthe wings 3 may be unfolded to the position shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4followed by the outward folding of the ap 9 over and upon the surfacesof the wing pads 6 and across the gap 7 in which positions it is held bythe engagement of its clasp sections 13 with the clasp sections 12 onthe wings, thus exposing `the interior upholstering at the head of thecasket.

When it is desired to close the wings, the clasps 13 will be detachedfrom the clasps 12 after which the flaps 9 will be returned inwardlyupon the upholstering within the casket to the position shown in Figures1 and 2, whereupon the wings 3 may be folded inwardly or closed, asshown in Figure 1 and relocked to each other by means of the latchmembers 14 and keepers 16.

Although the construction and manner of attachment of the flap shown anddescribed is particularly simple, practical and efficient, it is evidentthat the form of the flap and means for attaching it in its normal andoperative positions, may be Varied without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a burial casket having a box section, and sideand end wings hinged thereto to fold inwardly and outwardly, theadjacent ends of said wings adjacent the corner of the casket beingmitered to meet when folded inwardly and to form a gap when unfolded, ofa ap movable at will to and from a position across the gap independentlyof the movement of the wings when the latter are unfolded, said ap beingof greater area than the gap so as to extend beyond the adjacent miteredends of the wings when the flap is unfolded.

2. The combination with a burial casket having a box section, and sideand end wings hinged thereto to fold inwardly and outwardly, theadjacent ends of the wings adjacent the corners of the casket beingmitered to meet when folded inwardly and to form a gap when unfolded, ofa flexible ap for each of said corners, each flap being attached at oneend to the interior of the box across the adjacent corner thereof andhas its remaining portions of considerably greater width than the gap toextend beyond the adjacent mitered ends of the wings when unfoldedoutwardly.

3. A burial casket as in claim 2 in which the opposite lengthwise edgesand free ends of each ap are curved outwardly to fit closely upon theadjacent ends of the unfolded wings.

4. A burial casket as in claim 1 in which releasable means is'providedfor fastening the free end of the ap to the outer edges of the unfoldedwings. f

5. A burial casket as in claim 1 in which the inner faces ofthe wingsare provided with upholstering terminating at the meeting ends thereofand having their adjacent ends in'spaced relation whereby the oppositelengthwise edges of the flap, when unfolded outwardly, will overlap uponthe adjacent ends of the upholstering of the wings.

HANS P. HANSEN.

